Gwynedd running club to host most prestigious event in UK fell-running calender

Jackie Lee from Buckley will represent Eryri in the British Fell Relays on Sunday (Image: Robert Parry-Jones)

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Eryri Harriers head into Sunday’s British Fell relays with what selector Mike Blake described as the club’s "strongest women’s team for many years".

The Gwynedd club host the most prestigious event in the UK fell-running calendar on Sunday when the relays come to Llanberis.

The event will be based at the Glyn Rhonwy Estate, on the outskirts of the Snowdonia village, chosen because of its access to the rugged mountain slopes and ridges of Cefn Du, Moel Eilio and Cynghorion.

The competition has attracted entries from around 190 teams from all over the UK – including top clubs on the fell-running scene such as Dark Peak, Mercia, Calder Valley and Carnethy, the Brownlee brothers’ club Bingley Harriers and, of course, host club Eryri, who are fielding eight teams in all on the day.

Eryri’s leading women’s team blends youth and experience and is made up of athletes who have been in good form this summer.

Bronwen Jenkinson, at the tender of age of 16, will lead Eryri off on the first leg. Jenkinson this year claimed the bronze medal in the UK Inter-Counties under-16 mountain-running championships, and in the Joe Brown Tuesday night fell-race series pushed reigning champion Lisa Grantham hard for the title, the teenager winning three of the first five races and four of the 10 in total.

Heading off from the Glyn Rhonwy estate, she will tackle the 7.4-kilometre opening leg with 350 metres ascent, doing a loop of Cefn Du before heading down Bwlch y Groes and back to Glyn Rhonwy.

The second leg is for pairs of runners, and will be contested by two of Eryri’s most experienced international fell runners, Jackie Lee and Andrea Rowlands. Lee claimed the bronze medal in the Snowdon International Race back in July, also finishing equal fourth in the British Fell Running Championship, while Rowlands has been in great form in races across North Wales as she continues her competitive comeback after having a baby.

Rowlands and Lee will tackle a real test of fell strength, 14.3k with 990m ascent. The route heads across to Helfa before a steep slog up Moel Cynghorion, then follows the Moel Eilio ridge to Bwlch y Groes before a rapid descent.

The third leg, which is again for pairs, will be a test of navigational skills, with the route kept a secret until the start. British orienteering champion Jenny Heming and Becky Law will contest this leg, before handing over to another Wales international Tammy Lewis-Jones for the final solo challenge, a classic loop of Moel Eilio, measuring in at 8.4km and climbing 610m.

Blake, who is captain of Eryri’s three women’s teams, said: “They’re all good performers – it’s the strongest women’s team we’ve had for many years. In the past we’ve struggled but there isn’t a weak link in this team.”

Eryri’s men’s ‘A’ team are targeting a top-five finish. Changes have been made to the team, which will now be led off by Alun Vaughan on the first leg, followed by his fellow Wales internationals Math Roberts and Richard Roberts on the second. Martin Cliffe and Matt Fortes will take the navigational leg with Russell Bentley bringing the team home.

The event starts at 10am on Sunday, with registration taking place tomorrow afternoon and Sunday morning before the race. Hot drinks and snacks will be available, along with an up-to-date display of the progress of all teams during the competition.

For more information visit eryriharriers.org.uk or britishfellrelay.org.uk